The Substitute
by BBOvenGuy
Summary: With Buffy out of action, Willow must fill in as The Slayer. Wacky hijinks ensue. Written in Fall 1997.


The Substitute 

by Robert A. Black (bbovenguy@mindspring.com) 

DISCLAIMER: _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ is the creation of Joss Whedon. All characters and settings are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy Productions, and so forth. 

RATING: G

TIME CONTEXT: Set early in _Buffy_ Season Two, after "School Hard" but before "Lie To Me." 

* * *

_****_

Prologue

Four vampires converged on the Slayer, but she was ready for them.

In a flash, her fists shot out, catching two of the vampires in the face and sending them flying. A swift kick struck a third vampire in the stomach and knocked him to the ground as well.

But the fourth vampire was smarter than his comrades. He waited for the Slayer's blows to land, then moved in while she was still following through. He threw a punch that caught her across the back of the head. The Slayer fell to the ground with a thud.

In an instant, though, she was rolling through the fall and scrambling back to her feet. A long stake appeared in her hand, as if from nowhere. The fourth vampire charged, and the Slayer met him with a kick and a pair of punches, followed by the inevitable thrust of her deadly weapon. The vampire dissolved in an instant.

By now, the other three vampires were on their feet, and the Slayer turned to face them. She delivered a rapid flurry of blows, and in no time at all a second vampire was dust. But in dispatching one of the demons, the Slayer had unwittingly turned her back on the other two.

She was still catching her breath when they seized her. One of the vampires held the Slayer in a vice-like grip, immobilizing her no matter how hard she struggled. The other vampire, clearly enjoying the moment, took his time as he brushed back the Slayer's auburn hair, exposing her pale neck to his eager fangs.

Willow Rosenberg gulped in terror.

* * *

_****_

Part One

__

Roughly thirty-six hours earlier...

"This is not good," said Rupert Giles. "Not good at all. How could you possibly let it happen?"

"Well, I'm glad I have your sympathy, Giles," Buffy Summers retorted. "It's nice to know that in my time of crisis, you're right there by my side."

"Giles, this isn't Buffy's fault," said Willow. "It's not like she had a choice about it."

"Yes, yes, of course," said Giles. "I know that. But she is the Slayer, after all, and that carries a certain responsibility."

"I may be the Slayer," said Buffy, "but I'm still human. That means I have wisdom teeth, just like everyone else. And right now, mine are killing me!"

"So when do they go in and rip 'em out?" asked Xander Harris, joining the group gathered around the Sunnydale High School library's central table.

"Tomorrow morning, bright and early," Buffy replied with mock cheerfulness.

"Which presents us with a problem," said Giles. "Even with Buffy's superior healing ability, she's going to be incapacitated for a few days. The forces of darkness around here are sure to notice."

"When the Slayer's away, the vampires will play?" suggested Xander.

"Worse than that," said Giles. "They may try to kill Buffy while she's in her weakened state."

"Okay, this is definitely bad," said Willow. "So what do we do about it?"

"It's too bad there's no such thing as a Slayer's temp agency," said Buffy.

Giles seemed struck by the thought. "You know," he said, "that's not such a bad idea." He got up and hurried to his office, leaving the teenagers looking at each other in confusion.

"What did I say?" wondered Buffy.

In a moment, Giles returned with one of the mustier books from his collection. "I haven't looked at this book in years, but your suggestion, Buffy, reminded me of something I saw in here once."

"Giles," said Buffy, "if you're about to say that there really _is_ a Slayer's temp agency, and you never told me before, I'm going to hurt you so bad..."

"Fortunately for me, there's no such place," said Giles. "But we may be able to arrange a substitute for you anyway. There's a legend in here about the blood of a Slayer being able to turn another person into a Slayer, at least for a short time."

"And that works how?" asked Buffy.

"Well," said Giles, "they didn't know much about biology back then, so there's not much of an explanation. My guess is that the Slayer's blood somehow infuses the recipient with the genetic markers that make up a Slayer's birthright."

"Do I need to remind you that I slept through most of Biology last semester?" said Xander.

"He said Buffy's blood has little things in it that can make someone else a Slayer," Willow explained.

"It's only temporary, of course," said Giles. "Two or three days at most. But that could buy us the time we need."

"Hold on," said Buffy. "Much as I'd love to get away from this Slayer gig for a while, I am not going to let someone else face that kind of danger. Even with my blood in them, whoever filled in for me wouldn't have the same experience and training."

"I'm not suggesting that your substitute go out hunting every night," Giles replied. "We just need someone to keep the vampires off balance, so they don't know what's really going on."

"Sounds good to me," said Xander. "Sign me up."

"Um, I'm afraid you're not qualified," said Giles.

"What, again?" Xander exclaimed. "Ever since this vampire business started, you've been saying I wasn't up to doing the slaying. Aren't I man enough just to fill in for a few days?"

"Actually," said Giles, "you're too much of a man. I'm not qualified, either, if it makes you feel any better. The Slayer's genetic markers are incompatible with the human Y-chromosome. That's why the Slayer is always female."

"But if it can't be you or Xander," said Buffy, "that means it has to be..."

"Me," said Willow, suddenly looking more pale than normal.

"There are a couple of other candidates," said Giles. "People who have some idea of what they'd be facing. Miss Calendar perhaps, or even Cordelia if we were desperate..."

"We're not that desperate," said Willow. "I'll do it."

"Willow, are you sure?" said Buffy.

"I'm sure," Willow said firmly. "You've spent all this time watching out for us. It's time I did the same for you. Besides, it's not like the vampires have been very busy lately."

"All right," said Buffy. "I suppose we can both live with that." Turning to Giles, she asked, "So what do we have to do?"

"Well," Giles replied, "in the legend they used leeches to drain some of the Slayer's blood, and then the substitute consumed the leeches."

"Ick," said Willow. "I just had second thoughts. Is it too late to get Cordelia after all?"

"Fortunately," Giles continued, "we have more modern techniques at our disposal. I think a simple blood transfusion will suffice, if I can find the proper incantation to accompany it."

"Oh, good," said Willow, obviously relieved.

"It'll take me some time to gather what we need," said Giles. "We should also wait until evening to make the transfer. If we do it too early, Willow may lose her abilities before Buffy's fully recovered."

"Besides, I need some time to prepare her," said Buffy. "Come on, Will. You've got a lot to learn."

"Like what?" asked Willow. "I don't think I can learn all those kicks and punches you do in one day."

"Aw, don't worry about those," Buffy replied. "I'm talking about how to accessorize. The number of places you can hide a stake will amaze you."

* * *

_****_

Part Two

__

BEEEEP! BEEEEP! BEEEEP!

The alarm clock rang in Willow's ears, annoying her intensely. It wasn't that she didn't feel like getting up. In fact, she felt remarkably energetic. But the noise somehow aggravated her more than it normally did.

She reached out her hand and slapped the snooze bar. There was an odd crunching sound, and suddenly Willow felt her fingers touch the top of her night table. Startled, she looked up and saw what had happened. Her hand had gone straight through the alarm clock, smashing it into tiny pieces.

At that point, she remembered.

Last night. The library. Giles with his bizarre collection of medical equipment and medieval spell books. Buffy nervously cracking bad jokes about making sure they used clean needles. A brief, painful stab in her arm, followed by a rush of energy. Then - nothing. For a few moments after it was over, Willow didn't feel any different. It wasn't until Giles threw that knife at her that she knew.

The regularly scheduled Willow Rosenberg would not be seen today. She was Willow the Vampire Slayer now.

Willow looked at the shattered remains of her alarm clock and groaned. "This," she told herself, "is going to take some getting used to."

***

"So how's the Slayer doing?" Xander asked as he and Willow looked for a table in the lunchroom.

"Buffy's fine," Willow answered as she found a spot and sat down. "Giles called her mom a little while ago. Buffy came through the surgery all right and is sleeping off the anesthetic now."

"That's not what I meant," said Xander.

"I know," Willow replied, looking at him sternly.

"Willow, I sense that you're not enjoying this experience," said Xander. "Why not live a little? You're the Slayer! If nothing else, think of how that'll look on your college applications."

"You think this is funny?" Willow asked, suddenly angry. She waved her hand to point out the lunchroom and its occupants. "Take a look around. Do you see all these people? I'm responsible for them. Until Buffy's better, their lives are in my hands. I don't think that's funny."

"Whoa, wait a minute," said Xander, backing off a bit. Willow almost never acted like this. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything."

"I know," said Willow, her anger disappearing as quickly as it had come. "I'm sorry, Xander. This is really hard for me. I never thought being the Slayer would feel so different. Plus I keep breaking doorknobs, which is really... really..." Her voice trailed off as her face grimaced in a brief flash of pain.

"What's the matter?" asked Xander.

"I'm not sure," said Willow. "I felt this pain, all of a sudden. It's the third or fourth one, too. It almost feels like the last time I had..." Her eyes grew wide as realization dawned. "Oh, no!"

"What?" said Xander, growing concerned. "Will, what is it?"

"There's a vampire nearby."

"What are you talking about?" said Xander. "It's the middle of the day. How can there be a vampire when the sun is shining?"

"The sun's not shining in here," Willow pointed out. She started looking around, trying to focus her new powers. "See that guy busing the tables?" she said at last. "Have you ever seen him before?"

Xander turned and followed Willow's gaze. Sure enough, the man she pointed out was unfamiliar. He was still unconvinced, though. "Maybe he's just new here," he suggested.

"Then why is he only busing tables that are far from the windows?" Willow demanded. "Come on, Xander, it's the perfect cover. He could have sneaked in here last night and stayed in the kitchen all day."

"Well, I suppose it's possible," Xander admitted. "There can't be any sunlight in the kitchen. Otherwise, how could they grow all that mold and fungus they want us to call food?"

Willow ignored the remark. "I've got to take care of him, now," she said as she got up.

"Wait up," said Xander. "I'll come with you."

"_No!_" Willow turned and stared Xander back into his seat with a look that was all business. After a moment, her face softened a bit, but she was still deadly serious. "I mean, I'll handle it," she said. "If you want to help, go tell Giles what's happening. I don't want you getting hurt if things turn ugly."

With that, she stalked off, leaving Xander watching in stunned silence.

***

The back room of the kitchen was steamy and noisy. Unwashed dishes were piled up on the counters, waiting for the clean-up crew to take care of them. Willow looked around, making sure the place was deserted. She didn't want to be interrupted when her quarry arrived.

Willow's palms were sweating, and her breath was growing short. She had been able to look tough for Xander, but on the inside she was a nervous wreck. She had faced vampires before, of course, but she had always been on the undercard. This time, she was in the main event.

Fortunately, she didn't have long to wait. The food service worker shuffled into the room, carrying another load of dishes. He spied Willow immediately.

"Something I can do for you?" he asked.

Willow calmed herself as best she could. How in the world did Buffy go through life like this? Her body was now screaming that the man was a vampire, but doubts still plagued her mind. She'd hate to stake a human being accidentally. Finally, she decided to play along and see where things went, risky as that might be.

"I, uh, I think I lost something," she said. "My, uh, my retainer. Yeah... I think I left it on my plate. Pretty gross, huh?"

"I've heard worse," said the man. "Come on, I'll help you find it."

Willow nodded and turned toward the dishes, pretending to look for the nonexistent retainer. The sight of all the half-eaten food was enough to make her sick. It was all she could do to concentrate as the man approached from behind her. She could feel his eyes on her, and she could tell without looking when his face shifted and his fangs grew.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. Without thinking, Willow lashed out and struck the vampire across the face. He staggered backwards, more surprised than hurt.

For a moment, Willow stood there, unsure of what to do next. Buffy would usually taunt the vampire with some sort of witty remark. She decided to try that.

"Didn't anyone tell you?" Willow said. "On-the-job snacks aren't allowed around here." She hoped that was witty enough.

"I don't think my supervisor will notice," said the vampire. "And if she does, I have ways of dealing with her."

He lunged at her again. Willow braced for his attack, and suddenly found her body fighting back all by itself. Somehow, she knew exactly what to do, exactly how to defend against the vampire's blows, and exactly how to land blows of her own. She knocked the vampire backwards again, until he landed hard on the floor.

"There's only one problem," Willow said as she drew a stake from its hiding spot. "You picked the wrong girl to snack on."

The vampire tried to get up, but Willow kicked him in the chest and knocked him back down. "They should have warned you back in vampire school," she quipped, definitely getting into the spirit of things now. "Slayers are hazardous to your health."

The vampire staggered back to his feet, a look of pure astonishment on his face. "But... they told me the Slayer was a blonde!" he said.

Willow launched herself at the demon and buried the stake in his chest. He evaporated instantly.

The suddenness with which the fight ended was startling. Willow found herself looking down at the dust the vampire had left behind. She kicked it tentatively with the toe of her shoe.

"Not today," she said softly.

* * *

_****_

Part Three

Willow walked down the hallway in a daze, barely noticing the people who passed by.

Her first kill. She really was the Slayer now. She had looked one of Hell's minions right in the face and had snuffed it out as easily as she stomped on cockroaches at the Bronze.

She felt weird. She felt horrified. She felt good. Unbelievably good. She felt invincible. She felt like she wanted to go home and hide under her bed until the effects of Buffy's blood finally wore off.

She felt like the Slayer. That about summed it up.

Willow's mind was so preoccupied with all her various thoughts that she didn't see Cordelia coming the other way. It wasn't until the two girls were in mid-collision that the incident got Willow's attention. Unfortunately, Cordelia noticed much sooner.

"Excuse me, Buzz Lightyear," Cordelia spat. "Next time, practice your docking maneuvers on someone else, okay? You came dangerously close to wrinkling my dress. Now I know you don't appreciate the value of a good wardrobe, but there are those of us in this world who..."

Something in Willow's mind snapped. She was the Slayer. She didn't have to take this kind of abuse. Before the meek, mild Willow could intervene, Willow the Slayer reached out and grabbed Cordelia, hurling her against the wall and pinning her there.

"You know," the Slayer snarled, "I've never liked the way you talk about my clothes. Maybe they don't belong in your closet, but they do just fine in mine. _Do you understand?_"

"Uh huh," Cordelia squeaked, her eyes bulging out in surprise and terror.

Satisfied, Willow let the other girl go and resumed her course down the hallway. She was sure Cordelia would tell half the school about the incident by the end of the next period, but she didn't care. She had been wanting to do something like that for too long.

Vampires, it seemed, were not the only things a Slayer could slay.

***

"I'm afraid I can't stay too late, Buffy. That's why I got here before Xander did. There are a few things I need to talk to you about."

"Mmmph," said Buffy. The real Slayer lay in bed, her cheeks swollen and bruised. Willow didn't think she had ever seen vampires do more damage in all the fights Buffy had been in.

"I know you can't talk," Willow went on. "I just need to get some things off my chest. About being the Slayer."

For the next hour, Willow rambled on about everything she had gone through that day. Everything except her encounter with the vampire. She decided it was better not to worry her friend so soon after the surgery. Instead, she talked about the strange mixture of feelings and impulses she had experienced, the irritation with not knowing how to use her strength properly, and the burden of knowing she was the only person who could stand against the darkness.

Buffy said almost nothing, of course, but she did manage a few reassuring expressions and spent most of the hour holding Willow's hands tightly. Willow's monologue didn't appear to wear Buffy out at all. On the contrary, Buffy seemed genuinely pleased to hear Willow's perspective on being the Slayer. It occurred to Willow at some point that Buffy had never known anyone before who could truly share her experience. Now she did.

Much too soon, it seemed, Buffy and Willow heard a familiar set of footsteps bounding up the stairs.

"So, how's the patient?" Xander said cheerfully as he cruised into the room. He held a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a paper bag in the other.

"She can't talk yet, but she's a good listener," said Willow. With a pointed look in Xander's direction, she added, "I was just telling her what an uneventful day it was at school today."

"Uneventful?" said Xander, just seconds before he got Willow's hint. "Yeah, right. A real yawner. Even more than usual."

"Aaaahh veeeph fffrrr mmmeee?" Buffy asked.

"Of course," said Xander. He opened the bag and pulled out a half-gallon container of ice cream. "I even got your favorite kind of ice cream that doesn't have hard, crunchy things in it."

"Mmm hmmm," Buffy replied gratefully.

"Here, let me have those," said Willow, taking the bouquet and the bag from Xander. "I'll give them to your Mom on my way out," she told Buffy. "She'll take care of them for you."

"What?" said Xander. "You're leaving?"

"I have to," Willow said. "My folks have something special planned tonight, and I'm not supposed to miss it. You know how it goes. There are some things even being the Slayer won't get you out of."

"Mmmph," said Buffy, trying to smile as best she could.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Buffy," said Willow. "Thanks for everything."

"Wwwwrr wwwwccmmm."

***

It was already dark as Willow walked down the street. The perfect time for vampires. The perfect time for the Slayer.

Being the Slayer during the daytime had merely wigged Willow out. Being the Slayer at night was even worse. Perhaps it was just her mind playing tricks on her. She was expecting vampires now, so her mind told her they were around every corner. The air felt electric from their presence.

I'm not afraid, Willow told herself. You'd think I would be, but I'm not. Besides, there probably aren't any vampires out here at all. That one in the lunchroom was the first in two or three weeks. They're probably all at a convention or something.

She was crossing the street, nearing her own block, when the pains hit her again.

They were close. Several of them.

As inconspicuously as she could, Willow checked through her clothes. Buffy was right. The number of places to hide a stake really was amazing. A quick inspection reassured her that all her hiding places were filled.

She couldn't go home, though. Not with vampires following her. They wouldn't be able to enter her house, of course, but they would know where she lived, and that would be dangerous enough.

She reached the corner where she usually turned to go home and kept on walking instead. The undead followed, getting closer.

Willow knew the moment of truth was approaching. She hoped and prayed she was up to it.

***

"Hello, Buffy. I'm glad to see you're safe and sound."

Buffy tried to give Giles a smile, but she couldn't do that and swallow the ice cream Xander was feeding her at the same time. She nodded instead.

"Join the party, Giles," said Xander. "Willow had to leave, so there's an extra bowl of ice cream if you want it."

"Willow's gone?" asked Giles, visibly alarmed.

"Yeah," Xander replied. "She had something at home to go to. Why?"

"Well," said Giles, "I was hoping I would find her here. I did some checking through my books after her fight in the cafeteria, and..."

"_MMMMPPPHHHH????_" Buffy came close to drooling ice cream down her chin as she tried to shout. The effort was so painful that she sank her head back into her pillows for a moment.

"We, uh, we decided not to tell Buffy about Willow's... little adventure," Xander said helpfully.

"How considerate of you," Giles said dryly. "I suppose if I were to be equally considerate, I shouldn't tell you what I found during my research."

Buffy threw daggers at Giles with her eyes. Xander saw the look and interpreted for her. "Don't even joke about that, Giles," he said. "What's going on?"

"I'm afraid," said Giles, "that we have the small matter of an ancient prophecy to deal with."

***

Four vampires converged on Willow, but she was ready for them.

In a flash, her fists shot out, catching two of the vampires in the face and sending them flying. A swift kick struck a third vampire in the stomach and knocked him to the ground as well.

But the fourth vampire was smarter than his comrades. He waited for Willow's blows to land, then moved in while she was still following through. He threw a blow that caught her across the back of the head. Willow fell to the ground with a thud.

In an instant, though, she was rolling through the fall and scrambling back to her feet. A long stake appeared in her hand, as if from nowhere. The fourth vampire charged, and Willow met him with a kick and a pair of punches, followed by the inevitable thrust of her deadly weapon. The vampire dissolved in an instant.

By now, the other three vampires were on their feet, and Willow turned to face them. She delivered a rapid flurry of blows, and in no time at all a second vampire was dust. But in dispatching one of the demons, Willow had unwittingly turned her back on the other two.

She was still catching her breath when they seized her. One of the vampires held Willow in a vice-like grip, immobilizing her no matter how hard she struggled. The other vampire, clearly enjoying the moment, took his time as he brushed back Willow's auburn hair, exposing her pale neck to his eager fangs.

Willow the Vampire Slayer gulped in terror.

* * *

_****_

Part Four

After they had waged such a fast and furious battle to capture her, Willow thought the two surviving vampires were certainly taking their time to kill her. Little did they realize what a mistake that was.

As Willow the Vampire Slayer, she had pretty much run out of options. Willow the Science Nerd, on the other hand, still had a few tricks up her sleeve. She quickly worked through several different possibilities, grateful that she had already skimmed through next year's physics textbook.

By the time the vampire finally bent over to bite her, Willow was ready. At just the right moment, she buckled one of her legs, shifting her center of gravity. The vampire holding her promptly lost his balance, pitched forward and caught the other vampire in a head butt. The blow knocked both creatures senseless for a moment, giving Willow time to wriggle free of their grasp.

She reached for another of her stakes and brought it out just as the vampires regained their wits. They looked at her in amazement, and Willow found her mouth curling up into that same dangerous smile she saw on Buffy in similar situations. That was all the encouragement the vampires needed to leave. They quickly took off into the night.

Willow ran after them. Somewhere in the back of her mind, her normal self was telling her to take the victory and go home, but the small voice was drowned out by the blood roaring in her ears and the charge that the vampires' presence had sent crackling through her body. The Slayer was on the hunt and would not be stopped that easily.

The vampires' trail led into town, through the streets and into a dark alley. Willow paused at the alley's entrance, hoping her eyes would adjust to the darkness, then slowly walked forward, ready for anything that might leap out of the shadows.

Something was wrong. The vampires had definitely come this way, but her ability to sense them had become confused. Willow suddenly felt anxious. Surely her powers weren't wearing off already! This was hardly an appropriate time.

The now-familiar warning pains promptly returned. Willow was almost grateful to feel them. So close to being grateful, in fact, that she didn't notice the feeling was subtly different this time. All she knew was that there was a vampire nearby, coming up behind her.

Willow turned and threw the best punch she could muster, connecting solidly with the vampire's jaw. He staggered backwards, barely managing to stay on his feet. Before he could recover, Willow followed up with a vicious kick to his gut. The vampire fell against the nearest wall, leaning against it for support.

Willow was on top of him in an instant, her stake poised and ready for the kill. At the last minute, the vampire raised his head, allowing a streetlight to shine on his face. Willow gasped and quickly brought her arm to a stop.

"Angel!" she cried.

"Now I know why Xander likes hanging out with you," said Angel. "He needs the protection."

"Oh my God, Angel, I almost killed you," Willow exclaimed. "I didn't mean it. I was so busy chasing..."

"Those two vampires," Angel finished for her. "I saw. How come _you're_ the one going after them with a stake in your hand? Where's Buffy?"

"She's, uh, not feeling well," said Willow. Seeing Angel's concern, she added, "It's nothing serious. She just won't be up to fighting vampires for a couple of days. I'm sort of filling in."

"No offense, but your timing is lousy," said Angel. "Something's going on. Something much too big for a beginner to handle."

"Hey!" cried Willow. "Maybe this is my first day of actual slaying, but I'm not exactly a beginner. I've been around. I didn't have much trouble handling _you_, did I?"

As she spoke, Willow realized that her body had adopted the same assertive pose she sometimes saw Buffy take with Angel. She could see how Buffy grew irritated with the vampire at times, with his cryptic warnings and his occasional patronizing attitude. But there was something else, too. The longer Willow stayed near the vampire, the more her Slayer senses turned themselves inside out. The warning pains were now more of a tingling sensation that ran through her body. It was almost exciting.

"You caught me off-guard," said Angel. Something about the tone of his voice told Willow that he felt strangely, too. He was looking at her in a way he had never looked at her before. "I guess I never thought of you as much of a fighter," he said. "Who would have guessed you were so full of surprises?"

Before she realized what was happening, Willow found Angel staring deeply into her eyes. He reached out his hand to the side of her face, seemingly without even thinking. If he touched her, Willow was sure it would feel like...

"Buffy!" Willow shouted, snapping herself back to reality.

Angel returned to his senses as well. "I'm sorry," he said, quickly looking away. "You're right. I don't know what I was thinking."

"No, wait! I _do_ know what you were thinking," said Willow. "Giles made me a Slayer by transfusing some of Buffy's blood into me. That's got to be affecting you."

Willow could tell from Angel's expression that he wasn't catching on yet. "Just look at me," she went on. "I'm all sweaty, I've been fighting, and I've been scared half to death. I'm probably giving off Slayer pheromones like there's no tomorrow."

"And that makes me attracted to you?"

"Chemistry can do weird things to people sometimes," Willow replied.

"But that would mean I'm attracted to Buffy for the same reason - just because I'm a vampire and she's the Slayer. Even I think that's sick."

"Well, you're not just any vampire," Willow assured him. "It probably has something to do with you getting your soul back."

"You think so?" Angel asked.

"Maybe," said Willow. "But no matter what the reason, it's not that important. Chemistry may get people together in the first place, but it doesn't _keep_ them together."

"I suppose you're right," said Angel. "Thanks," he added with a smile. "Has anyone ever told you what a good friend you are?"

Willow returned Angel's smile, but with a sardonic twist. "All the time," she replied.

***

"Willow! What on earth happened? We've all been worried sick about you."

Willow winced as Buffy's mother looked her over. She knew she would have to explain herself eventually. She had simply hoped it wouldn't be this soon.

"I, uh, was walking home," Willow said, "when some creepy guys started following me. I got scared and ran."

"Luckily," added Angel, who was standing beside her, "I was out walking and ran into her. They didn't stick around after that."

Willow smiled sweetly, partially to cover her own distortion of the truth and partially to keep from laughing at Angel's distortion of the truth. "You remember Angel, don't you, Mrs. Summers?" she said.

"Of course," Mrs. Summers replied. "You're Buffy's friend. Come in, both of you."

"Do you think I could call my parents?" Willow asked as they entered the house. "I was kind of supposed to be home a while ago."

"I know," said Buffy's mother. "I've already been on the phone with them twice. Why don't you get cleaned up? I'll call them and put you on the phone when you're ready."

"Thanks," Willow said with relief. With everything else that was going on, the last thing she needed to face was her parents' wrath and disappointment. Being the Slayer was no match for that.

***

"I can't believe how lucky you are," said Xander. "When I'm this late, my parents start talking about military academies. Yours will probably throw you a party when you get home."

"Think of how poor Buffy feels," said Willow. "When she slays vampires, half the people in town want to throw her in jail."

"Mmmm hmmm," Buffy added with a vigorous nod.

"I'm afraid we don't have time for this conversation," said Giles. By now, he had moved a large stack of books into Buffy's room and placed them on the floor near the chair he was sitting in. Willow and Xander sat with Buffy on her bed, while Angel took a seat by the window.

"Giles is right," said Angel. "We're all in very serious danger."

Buffy glared at Angel. "Aren't we always?" Xander translated.

"This is different," Angel replied. "A couple of weeks ago, Spike left town and went to New Mexico. Something about a vampire shaman who could restore demonic spirits to wholeness. I don't know exactly what that's about, but with him gone, a couple of the other vampires are trying to replace him as the new Master."

"That's very interesting," said Giles, "because it ties in quite well with the prophecy I discovered."

"I missed that part the first time," said Willow. "Would you mind repeating it?"

"Not at all," said Giles. He opened the top book on his stack and began to read.

__

"There will come a time when the Moon aligns itself with Jupiter and Mars in the constellation of Scorpio, after being swallowed and disgorged by Earth's shadow on thirteen score occasions." 

"Don't you love these ancient prophecies?" said Xander. "You need a supercomputer to figure out what time they're talking about. They can't just say, 'Hey, next Tuesday something bad's gonna happen.'"

"Well, it did take a bit of doing," said Giles, "but I managed to calculate the date the prophecy refers to."

"A supercomputer or a super-librarian," Willow quipped. "So what date did you come up with?"

"Right now," Giles replied. "In fact, it's a time period that began yesterday afternoon and will continue until nine-forty-four tomorrow night. That's when the Moon will finally move out of position."

"So what's supposed to happen?" asked Angel.

"Ah," said Giles, "that's where things really get interesting. Listen to this." He turned to his book and read again:

__

"At that time, to anyone who answers the Slayer's riddle and presents his victory at the Mouth of Hell, the forces of the cosmos will be aligned to grant him Mastery over the dark powers of the Earth."

"No wonder the vampires are excited," said Willow.

"They must have found out about the prophecy and tricked Spike into leaving so he couldn't fulfill it himself," Angel mused.

"But what are they supposed to do?" said Xander. "That's the part I don't get. What's 'the Slayer's riddle'?"

"Ah dunno ehnee riddlls," said Buffy.

"And even if you did know one, you couldn't say it clearly enough," Xander gibed.

"Well, the word 'riddle' is merely an approximation," said Giles. "It's what the translators came up with, but the original word could just as easily be 'challenge' or 'threat' or something similar."

"If that's the case," said Angel, "then it's pretty obvious what the vampires are trying to do. To answer the Slayer's challenge, they have to kill her and present her body at the Mouth of Hell, all before nine-forty-four tomorrow night."

"Gosh," said Willow. "Angel wasn't kidding. This is a bad time for Buffy to be stuck in bed."

"Buffy's not the one we should worry about," Giles said quietly.

"What do you mean?" said Xander. "She's the Slayer."

"Three vampires were killed today, and Buffy was right here the entire time," said Giles. "As far as the rest of them are concerned, the Slayer has a new face."

"Mine," said Willow.

Even with her enhanced Slayer powers, it took Willow every ounce of her strength to keep from passing out. Being marked for death by an ancient prophecy was definitely not what she had in mind when she signed up for this job.

* * *

_****_

Part Five

"Willow! Willow Rosenberg! It's time to wake up!"

The voice rang through Willow's head, bringing her back to reality. "Mom?" she said sleepily, her eyes still closed. "I had the strangest dream. The vampires were out to kill me because they thought it would help them rule the world."

"Sounds fascinating. Too bad it's not a dream. Rupert already told me everything."

Huh? That didn't sound like her mother. As Willow pondered the matter, she realized that her pillow felt more like a computer keyboard. She'd fallen asleep on both items often enough to know the difference.

Willow slowly lifted her head and opened her eyes. She was in the middle of the Sunnydale High computer lab, with Miss Jenny Calendar staring back at her. Fortunately, they were alone in the room.

"How... how long have I been asleep?" Willow asked.

"I'm not sure," Miss Calendar replied. "You know how computer students are. Nobody noticed. I decided to let you stay there until everyone else was gone."

"I'm probably late for my next class," Willow said, trying to gather her books together.

Miss Calendar handed Willow a signed note. "Already covered," she said. "You had to debug the Art Department's new multimedia system. Got it?"

"Yeah. Darn those multimedia bugs. They'll get you every time."

Miss Calendar smiled, but only weakly. "Willow, are you all right?" she asked. "Like I said, I know about the prophecy Rupert found. You must be going through hell."

"Well, you've probably already guessed that I didn't sleep much last night," Willow replied. "I had my parents fussing over me when I got home, and then I kept hearing things outside my window. I never sensed any vampires nearby, but then I kept wondering if my powers had worn off and I didn't know it."

"Just relax," Miss Calendar said as reassuringly as she could. "You'll get through this in one piece. After all, there's only another twelve hours to go."

"Thanks for reminding me," Willow said grimly. She had little doubt these would be the longest twelve hours of her life.

***

The library computer screen swam before Willow's eyes. She was trying to learn more about "the Slayer's riddle," but it was no use. Her sleep-deprived brain simply refused to take any of the information in.

She was about to go back to the stacks and see if Giles and Xander had been more successful when the library doors opened and Cordelia walked in, loaded with enough cosmetics to make over an entire field of Miss America contestants.

"Willow, I'm so glad you're here," Cordelia said. "Look, I asked Giles what was going on with you. He told me everything and asked if I could help. Well, I was so relieved to find out that you weren't really yourself in the hallway yesterday that I said yes without even thinking."

"Gee," said Willow, "that must have been hard."

Cordelia paused for a moment, looking at Willow cautiously. "Hey, you're not still... you know... are you?"

"Yes, I am," Willow replied. She gave Cordelia the same dangerous smile that had frightened the vampires the night before. She would have to remember how to do that after she returned to normal.

"Oh," said Cordelia. "Well, don't take this the wrong way, but I thought that if you had to hide out from the vampires until late tonight, maybe I could help you with a disguise. The vampires might not recognize you if you were actually... you know... pretty."

"Cordelia," Willow said wearily, "don't take _this_ the wrong way, but if you come anywhere near me with that stuff, I'm going to..."

"Ah! Still here, I see," said Giles, hurrying down the steps to join them. Apparently he had heard the last part of the conversation and was trying to prevent an outbreak of violence. "And it was good of you to come, Cordelia. Why don't you go find Xander back in the stacks? He knows exactly which books we still need to go through."

"Books?" said Cordelia, unable to conceal the look of disgust on her face. "When you said you wanted me to help, I thought you meant..."

"Yes, yes, I'm sure you had the best of intentions, but we really must concentrate all our efforts where they're needed most. And right now, that means going to the stacks."

Cordelia started to object, but Giles rebuffed her with a single glare. "All right," she said at last. Putting her makeup cases down, she turned to Willow and said, "If you come to your senses, you know where I'll be."

Willow watched Cordelia leave, then turned to the man who was, for the moment anyway, _her_ Watcher. "Well, I'm not getting anywhere," she told him. "Are you and Xander having any more luck?"

"None at all, I'm afraid," Giles admitted. "There appears to be nothing else in all of prophecy about 'the Slayer's riddle.' You would think something that important would be explained a little better."

"Maybe part of the riddle is to figure out what the riddle is," Willow suggested.

"Perhaps," said Giles. "At any rate, we must think about how to get through tonight. Since we don't have any more information, the best thing to do may simply be to keep you out of sight until the time of the prophecy passes."

"I've already talked to Buffy about that," said Willow. "I'll be at her place, getting her caught up on her classes. And my folks are so freaked about me walking around at night that they've asked Buffy's mom if I can sleep over."

"Splendid," said Giles. "That should make our job quite simple."

"I suppose," said Willow, a hint of disappointment creeping into her voice.

Giles noticed her tone. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"I don't know," said Willow. "Hiding all night doesn't seem very Slayer-like. I never realized how much responsibility this job has before. Shouldn't I be out there protecting people from the forces of darkness?"

"Well, first of all," said Giles, "you're not a Slayer, and in a short while you won't even be able to pass for one. Second of all, being dead doesn't protect anyone from the forces of darkness."

"I guess you're right," Willow admitted.

"But just the same," said Giles, "I don't suppose you could talk to Buffy about that responsibility bit, could you?"

Willow smiled, but decided it was better to say nothing.

***

"Wiwwow? You awake?"

"Wide awake," Willow replied. "The sun just went down, didn't it?"

Buffy nodded. "I awees notice, too," she said. The swelling in her jaws had gone down, making her speech much better, but she still had trouble with a few sounds.

The plan had been for Willow to take a much-needed nap once she arrived at Buffy's house. It had worked for a while, but an invisible signal ran through her mind once sunset arrived. The Slayer's natural alarm clock, she thought.

"I guess that means only a couple hours to go, doesn't it?" Willow asked.

"Abowt twee," said Buffy, holding up three fingers to make sure she was understood.

Willow shifted uncomfortably. Buffy's always-friendly room felt more like a prison. "Do you hate all this sitting around as much as I do?" she asked.

"Maybe mohw," Buffy replied.

"I should have been able to stop this somehow," Willow fumed. "I promised I'd be the Slayer for you, Buffy. I feel like I've let you down."

"_Stop!_" Buffy said sternly. Working her sore jaws the best she could, she added, "You did good."

Willow was speechless, unsure of how to reply. Before she could think of anything, the doorbell rang.

"Is your mom home yet?" Willow asked.

Buffy shook her head. "Still wooking," she replied.

"Maybe it's Giles," Willow suggested. "Or Xander. We should find out."

The two girls hurried down the stairs. The doorbell rang again as they did, as if whoever was outside was in a hurry. Willow reached the door first and pulled it open without stopping to look through the window.

The person waiting on the other side was not Giles or Xander. It was a female vampire who greeted the girls with a fang-bearing smile.

"Ah, good," she said. "You're here. I would come in and join you, but I doubt that I'm welcome."

Before Willow could react, Buffy shoved past her and attacked the intruder. She landed two solid punches, knocking the vampire off the doorstep, but the vampire came right back with punches of her own. One of them caught Buffy directly on the sore spot of her jaw. The Slayer howled in agony and collapsed to the ground.

Willow sprang into action. With a wild banshee scream, she launched herself at the vampire, knocking the demon down in no time with a blinding series of kicks and punches. She threw herself down on top of her enemy, preparing to strike with a stake she had drawn so quickly that even she didn't know which hiding place it had come from.

"Wait!" the vampire cried out.

"Why should I?" Willow snarled.

"You can kill me if you want," said the vampire, "but then you won't find out why I'm here." To Willow's surprise, the demon actually laughed. "Until it's too late, that is," she added.

"What do you mean?" Willow asked.

"I came here to deliver a message," said the vampire. "We know all about 'the Slayer's riddle' - _'When is a Slayer not a Slayer?'_ And we know the answer, too - 'When she's merely someone the _real_ Slayer is hiding behind.'"

Mindful of Willow's stake, the vampire raised her head and looked over at Buffy. "We don't know how you did it," she said, "but somehow you had everyone, even Spike, believing that pathetic creature was the Slayer. But yesterday you showed your true colors, just in time for the prophecy."

Willow's head began to spin. "So," she said, trying to remain as threatening as she could, "what are you going to do about it?"

"You know what we want," said the vampire. "We've solved the riddle and now we're claiming our prize. We know you can stay inside someone's home, out of our reach, until the time of the prophecy ends, so we've decided to give you some incentive to cooperate."

"What do you mean?"

"If you deprive us of our victory," said the vampire, "Sunnydale will pay the price. You can protect yourself if you like, or you can join us at the Mouth of Hell. If you don't arrive by eight-thirty, we will go out and feed as we have not fed in decades. You'll have to join us then."

The vampire laughed again, louder this time. Willow felt her grip on reality slipping away. It wasn't until the stake slipped from her hand that she rejoined the world.

At first Willow thought the vampire had grabbed the stake from her. She looked around, fighting a wave of panic, then saw Buffy next to her, holding the stake high in the air. The Slayer must have crawled over to them when Willow wasn't paying attention. In a flash, Buffy drove the stake into the vampire's chest. Willow lost her balance and rolled to the ground as the demon crumbled beneath her.

Buffy didn't release her grip on the stake until she had driven it halfway into the ground. She paused for a moment, then spat a large glob of blood into the vampire's dust.

"Souns like a pawhty," she said with great effort. "Too bad you won't be heah foh the fun."

* * *

_****_

Part Six

"Ow!" said Buffy as she pulled a blood-soaked cotton ball from her mouth and replaced it with a clean one. "I tink she tow da sootchoos."

"We'll get your sutures looked at tomorrow," Giles assured her. He and Xander had arrived shortly after Buffy killed the female vampire, and joined Buffy and Willow back up in Buffy's room. "Right now, we have a few more important things to worry about."

"Easy fow you to say," Buffy replied. "How am I suppoza fight wit aw tis bwood in my mout?"

"Buffy, you can't fight like this," Willow insisted. "Especially when that vampire was practically inviting you to go out there and die."

"Actually," Giles reminded her, "she was inviting _you_ to go out there and die."

"Okay, I still don't get that part," said Xander. "Are these vampires from the remedial class or something? Why do they think Willow is the Slayer?"

"It all has to do with 'the Slayer's riddle,'" Giles replied. "Miss Calendar was fortunate enough to find some more information about that. She got it from someone in one of those... those chit-chat things she's so fond of."

"You mean a Chat Room," Willow corrected him. "Who would have guessed?"

"Well, I did corroborate the claim, of course," said Giles. Pulling out a piece of paper, he added, "The complete text of the riddle is this:

_'When is a Slayer not a Slayer?  
Let he who is wise  
And believes not his eyes  
Choose the one that is true  
And thereby claim the prize.' _

"Put yourself in the vampires' place for a moment," Giles went on. "Only a handful of them have ever seen Buffy in action and lived. Spike has, of course, but they obviously don't trust him. All they have are vague reports that the Slayer is a blonde-haired girl. Then Willow suddenly appears and clearly demonstrates that she has the Slayer's gifts. What would you make of it?"

"Either they'd been mistaken about Buffy, or there are two Slayers," Willow concluded. "And with the prophecy coming, they figure they've got to decide which of us is real."

"Precisely," said Giles.

"But they guessed wrong," Xander said. "If they kill Willow and take her to the Hellmouth, nothing's going to happen."

"Except, of course, that Willow would be dead," said Giles.

"Well, duh," Xander retorted. "I'm not suggesting that as a plan or anything."

"No, of course not," Giles agreed. "But we do need to think of something, and quickly."

"Guys, I don't feel so good," said Willow.

Buffy put a reassuring hand on Willow's shoulder. "We'll get you through this," Xander translated, even though it wasn't necessary.

"Thanks, but that's not exactly what I meant," Willow replied. "I think I need to... you know... excuse myself."

Willow got up and hurried down the hall as the others continued their discussion. She dashed into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Just in time, she thought. She didn't know whether she was about to throw up or burst into tears, but either way, she didn't want her friends seeing it.

The whole town was in danger. Everyone she knew. Every place she went. What had once happened in the school's audio-visual room could be repeated dozens of times, and if they tried to stop it, they'd be walking straight into the trap that had been set for them.

Something worse was going on as well. Something Willow didn't want the others to know about yet. Her Slayer powers were weakening.

She had known since the fight with the female vampire. In fact, if Willow hadn't been in such a raging fury, the vampire may well have beaten her. Now Willow's added strength and sensitivity were definitely fading away. Soon she would be plain old Willow Rosenberg again.

There was only one thing for her to do. Only one option made any sense. Xander had been right. If the vampires killed her and took her body to the Hellmouth, they would lose their chance to fulfill the prophecy. There wouldn't be enough time for them to go after Buffy once they realized their mistake.

Her friends would be safe. Her family would be safe. Her town would be safe. It was a perfect plan - except for that little part about her dying.

The possibilities ran through Willow's mind until she was dizzy. One fact always came out on top - once Buffy had willingly gone to her death because it was what she had to do. Now it was Willow's turn.

She thought she had enough Slayer strength left to climb out the bathroom window and leap to the ground. Not wanting to suffer the humiliation of breaking her neck while on her way to a noble act of self-sacrifice, she hurried to put her powers to use while she still had them.

***

"Wiwwow's gone!"

Even with a mouth full of cotton, Buffy sounded like she was near panic. Giles and Xander scrambled to their feet.

"Gone?" Xander exclaimed. "How can she be gone?"

"Bafroom window," Buffy replied.

"That doesn't make any sense," said Giles. "Willow knows it's not safe out there. What could she be doing?"

"She's been taking this Slayer business real seriously," said Xander. "You don't suppose she went to fight those vampires by herself, do you?"

"That hardly seems rational," said Giles.

"She inn't going to fight," said Buffy, her eyes widening as realization dawned on her. "She going to let tem kill her."

"Are you sure about that?" Giles asked.

Buffy nodded. "I know Wiwwow," she replied.

"Buffy's right," said Xander. "God! Who's the moron that gave her that idea?"

"Um, I believe you are," said Giles.

"Oh God, you're right," Xander admitted with a look of agony. "Okay," he said at last, "it's not time to panic yet. She couldn't have gotten far. How long has she been gone?"

Buffy shrugged. Giles checked his watch. "Fifteen minutes or so?" he guessed. "Maybe longer."

"Okay," said Xander. "That's not so bad. After all, Willow never went to the Hellmouth with Buffy and me. She doesn't know where the vampires are."

"She can find it," Buffy said grimly.

Xander read the expression on Buffy's face. "Okay, now it's time to panic," he said. "What are we going to do?"

"Stop tem," Buffy replied.

"Now, wait just a minute," said Giles. "You're in danger as well, and as you've already pointed out, your condition will make fighting difficult. Let us handle it."

"I'm going," Buffy insisted. "If you twy to stop me, you be huwting woose tan I do."

***

When it came to losing a Slayer's gifts, the ability to sense vampires was the last thing to go. Willow knew that because it was now the only gift she had left.

Fortunately, it was the only gift she still needed. She had successfully made her way to the city's electrical tunnel. Once underground, she knew exactly which way to go. Terror dogged her every step, but she forced herself forward.

To keep calm, she tried to think of ways that someone like plain old Willow Rosenberg could still fight a vampire. After all, they would get suspicious if she made killing her too easy, and if she could delay them for a while, there would be less time for them to look for Buffy once they found out they had the wrong Slayer. In the back of her mind, she also held out a faint hope that she could somehow survive this ordeal, but she tried not to think about that too much.

At last, Willow reached the final tunnel. Somehow, she knew that the Hellmouth waited at the bottom. She stood there for a moment, barely hanging on to her resolve to go forward. Finally, she turned around - not to run, but to take one last look behind her.

Her view was blocked by a vampire.

"So, you decided to come after all," the vampire said. It was the same one who had tried to bite her before. "In a way, I'm disappointed, but I imagine I'll get over it once I have the entire Earth at my command."

Willow drew a stake - her last one - from its hiding place. "You don't think I came here just to get slaughtered, do you?" she said, trying to sound as menacing as she had when she was the Slayer.

"We were hoping you didn't," said the vampire. With a lightning fast move, he reached out and pushed her. Willow fell and went rolling down the tunnel, splashing to a stop in a puddle at the bottom. She looked up and saw the old church ruins that surrounded the Hellmouth, just as Xander had described them to her.

She also saw five more vampires looking at her.

The one who had tried to bite her dragged her to her feet and shoved her into the midst of the others. They looked at her suspiciously.

"Ezekiel, are you're sure this is the Slayer?" asked another female vampire.

"You weren't there, Danielle," said Ezekiel, the vampire who had tried to bite her. "You didn't see what she could do."

"But she looks so small and weak," Danielle argued.

This was bad. Willow had to do something to keep them interested. "Oh, come on," she taunted. "You're not going to start believing your eyes, are you?"

"She's right," said another vampire, the other one she had fought before. "We must remember the prophecy."

The remaining vampires began to voice there feelings as well. In the few seconds that they were distracted, Willow looked around the chamber, trying to find something she could do. Her eyes came to rest on one of several torch stands scattered through the chamber. It was sitting conveniently close to one of the vampires. If she could only reach it...

"Hey!" she shouted defiantly. "We don't have all night." Raising her stake, she dared them, "If we're going to do this thing, then let's do it!"

The vampires were all caught off guard, as Willow had hoped. She lashed out with her stake, swinging at Ezekiel. She missed terribly, but the attempt was enough to back all the vampires up a respectful distance. That was the break she needed. As fast as her very human legs could carry her, Willow raced over to the torch stand, grabbed it, and swung it with all her might at the nearest vampire.

Her efforts were well rewarded. Not only did the blow knock the vampire to the ground, but the flames set his clothing ablaze. Within seconds, the vampire exploded in a burst of flaming dust.

The other vampires were stunned and confused, but Willow knew it wouldn't last. Her next move was obvious. It was time to hide. She raced into the chamber, hoping the vampires wouldn't see where she went.

The chase was on. Probably the last chase of her life. She was determined to keep it going for as long as she could. Buffy, Xander, Giles and everyone else deserved no less.

* * *

_****_

Part Seven

They were nearly at the mausoleum that led into the city's electrical tunnel. There was still no way to tell how much of a head start Willow had on them, especially since Giles had insisted on stopping at the library for supplies - extra stakes for all of them, his favorite short sword for himself, and the crossbow and some protective headgear for Buffy. The last item was proving to be the most troublesome.

"Tis ting itches," Buffy griped. "And do you know what it's doing to my haiw?"

"Yes," Giles replied. "In fact, that was my primary reason for making you wear it. Minor matters like protecting you where you're vulnerable had nothing to do with my decision."

"Guys, I don't care what any of us have to wear," said Xander. "I'll put on a tutu if it'll get Willow back."

"Now that would be interesting to watch," said a voice from the darkness. Buffy, Giles and Xander turned in time to see Angel approaching from among the gravestones.

"Oh, yeah," Xander snorted, "like _you've_ got a chance of seeing it."

Angel ignored the remark. "Buffy, what happened to you?" he said. He stopped just short of her and looked at her closely. "You're hurt - you've been bleeding."

"It's nuffing," Buffy insisted. "No time to wowwy about me."

"We think Willow's gone to the Hellmouth," Giles explained. "She plans on sacrificing herself in order to stop the prophecy."

"It's going to take a lot to save her," said Angel. "I was just on my way to tell you some things I found out. There was a group of ten vampires who banded together recently, right after they discovered the prophecy. They're the ones you're after."

"Ten of them," said Xander. "Willow killed three yesterday, and Buffy got another one tonight. That leaves only six. That's not so bad, is it?"

Buffy, Giles and Angel all looked at Xander for a moment without saying anything.

"We haffa huwwy," said Buffy. She rushed off to the mausoleum. Giles and Angel followed, leaving Xander standing alone.

"Okay," Xander said. "So it is that bad. I can take a hint."

***

The old church ruins were full of hiding places. The crumbling structures had plenty of nooks and crannies, and there were several old crosses lying around to discourage the undead from looking too closely. Willow scampered from spot to spot, trying to stay ahead of the five remaining vampires. She was quite pleasantly surprised that she was still alive. She hadn't been sure she could survive this long as a mere mortal.

Time was running out, though. As the prophecy neared its end, the vampires would grow more desperate. She imagined them tearing the ruins apart in an attempt to find her. It wasn't a pretty thought.

"Slayer!" It was Ezekiel, calling her. "Come out, Slayer!" He was close, too. Willow quickly shifted hiding positions again, trying as hard as she could to be quiet.

"You're not playing by the rules of our little agreement," Ezekiel went on. "You came here so that we wouldn't go and feed on the town. Well, we haven't fed on anyone, have we? So now it's your turn to pay up. Come do your duty and fulfill the prophecy."

He was closing in on her again. Did he sense her fear? Could he somehow tell that she no longer had her powers? Or was he driving her into a trap that the other vampires had set for her? She couldn't tell, and she wouldn't be able to look without giving herself away.

"You know what I think," Ezekiel continued. "I'm beginning to wonder if you're really the Slayer at all. Maybe you're just a decoy, sent here to deny us our victory. Do you think that could be true?"

Willow struggled not to gasp audibly. Did he really know? Or was he simply trying to bait her? One thing was certain. He was still getting closer. Willow gripped her stake tighter, ready to make the best use of it that she could.

"There _was_ that blonde girl we saw you with," said Ezekiel. "Maybe she was the Slayer after all. Of course, we can't really tell for sure, can we? Unless we go out and look for her. You can stay here, and we'll go out hunting. What do you say to that?"

Willow had heard enough. Maybe it was the last traces of the Slayer inside her, or maybe it was her own anger and fear boiling to the surface, but Willow couldn't stay hidden any longer. 

No longer bothering to keep quiet, Willow pushed her way out of her hiding spot and into plain sight. Ezekiel was only a few feet away. She charged straight at him, her stake in the air.

A vampire would never survive such an attack from a Slayer, but Ezekiel caught Willow's arm easily. Two of the other vampires rushed in and grabbed her. They brought her to the center of the chamber, to the Hellmouth itself, where Danielle was waiting with an old set of shackles. They bound her hands together, and the two vampires who held her made sure she couldn't run.

"And now," said Ezekiel, "the time of our victory is at hand. Come Malachi, Amos, Hosea and Danielle. Gather together, for together we now ascend to rule this world!"

Willow felt herself tremble as the vampires closed in around her. This was it. She had come to the Hellmouth willingly, ready to give her life to save everyone else. But now that the moment was here, she was still terrified. She promised herself she wouldn't scream, and she fought hard to keep that promise. _It's a far, far better thing that I do_, she told herself, _than I have ever done before..._ Forget that! She was about to _die_, for crying out loud!

Ezekiel grabbed Willow's head, turning it to expose her neck. "We shall all feed on the Slayer's blood, here at the Hellmouth, and with her death, we shall rise." He bent forward, preparing to complete the job he hadn't been able to finish the night before.

Willow closed her eyes and braced herself for the pain that was to come. As she did, the only appropriate last words she could think of appeared in her mind.

__

Goodbye, Xander...

The pain in her neck suddenly failed to arrive. Instead, there was a strange whooshing noise, followed by the unmistakable sound of a vampire disintegrating. Willow noticed that the vampire to her right had abruptly disappeared. She opened her eyes, and was amazed by what she saw.

Buffy stood at the mouth of the entrance tunnel, still aiming her crossbow at the remaining vampires. She had cleverly borrowed Giles's headgear to protect her sore jaws. Giles himself stood next to her, holding that short sword they had caught him playing with once. Angel was there, too, his face in its full vampirish splendor. And Xander... could she ever have doubted he would show up as well?

Willow's heart missed a beat. This was exactly what she had hoped to avoid - her friends facing mortal peril at the hands of the prophecy-obsessed vampires. And yet they had chosen to face the danger, all for her sake. It was more overwhelming than any vampire's blow.

"Escooze me," said Buffy. "I don wanna inuwwupt..." She paused long enough to shrug, then said, "Nah. Actooawy, I _do_ wanna inuwwupt."

"For those of you who don't understand wisdom-tooth-ese," said Xander. "Here's what she said: Get your bloodsucking butts away from that girl, or we'll kick them clear into the _next_ ancient prophecy!" Xander always did have a way with words.

"Never!" shouted Ezekiel. He grabbed Willow by the throat, determined to finish her off before Buffy could stop him.

Buffy aimed the crossbow and fired. The bolt whizzed past Willow's ear and slammed into Ezekiel's body. The vampire fell backwards, into the ruins. Willow couldn't see if he'd been killed or not.

With an ear-piercing shriek, Danielle rushed straight at Buffy. The Slayer clubbed her with the crossbow, then followed up with a powerful kick. Meanwhile, the other vampires charged Willow's rescue party as well. For the moment, Willow was left unattended.

Willow stood there, unsure of what to do. She wanted to help her friends, but she no longer had any Slayer powers. Worse yet, her hands were still shackled behind her back, preventing her from hitting anyone with heavy objects. Her choices were pretty limited.

While Buffy and Angel each fought a vampire at the tunnel entrance, Xander and Giles tried to come to Willow's aid, but the third vampire still standing, the one she had fought the night before, had other plans. No matter how hard they tried, Giles and Xander couldn't get past him.

Willow saw her opportunity and went to help. Creeping up behind the vampire, she lifted one of her feet and shoved it against the creature's backside as hard as she could. The effort sent her falling over backwards, but it also pushed the vampire onto the point of Giles's sword.

Willow almost smiled at her success - until she realized that the metal sword wasn't going to kill the vampire. Her expression turned to horror as the vampire twisted his body and used the sword as a lever to throw Giles to the ground. The weapon remained lodged in the vampire's body, until he pulled it out himself and prepared to use it on Xander.

"Xander, look out!" Willow cried. The boy needed no extra encouragement. He backed away quickly as the vampire swung the blade at him.

"You call that a swing?" Xander mocked the vampire. "I've seen other vampires do better _after_ they turned to dust." Willow was terrified of Xander getting hurt if he taunted the vampire too much. Then she saw Giles getting back to his feet and drawing a stake from his jacket pocket. The vampire had his back to the Watcher and saw nothing. As Xander continued to avoid being struck by the sword, Giles crept up and buried the stake in the vampire's back. The creature was no more.

Up at the tunnel entrance, Willow heard the sounds of two more vampires dying, as Buffy finished off Danielle and Angel slew his adversary. By the time Willow got back on her feet, the fight was over.

"You guys," she cried, "I never thought I'd see you again! How did you...?"

She never got to finish the sentence. A pair of undead hands grabbed her from behind, one hand gripping the top of her head while the other choked off her breathing.

Ezekiel! Willow had never checked to see if the vampire leader had survived the crossbow bolt. Obviously, he had. Buffy ran forward, holding a particularly mean-looking stake in front of her.

"You!" Ezekiel cried upon getting a good look at Buffy. "You _are_ the Slayer after all!"

"Let her go," Buffy ordered slowly and deliberately.

"Just like that?" Ezekiel said. "I don't think so. If you're the Slayer, I can still fulfill the prophecy. Give yourself to me. Give me my victory - or this girl dies."

Willow felt the vampire's grip tighten around her throat. Despite that, she remained defiant. "Don't do it, Buffy!" she choked out as best she could.

"This is your last chance," said Ezekiel. "If I can't have what I want, then you won't have her."

Willow's vision was beginning to blur. She tried to meet Buffy's eyes. The Slayer's face was full of rage and despair. Willow tried urging her friend not to give in, but she could no longer force any words through her throat.

"If she dies," said Buffy, being very careful to make sure she was understood, "in ten minutes you'll be begging to join her - but you won't get off that easy."

"Threaten me all you like," Ezekiel screamed. "The prophecy _will_ be fulfilled!"

"Prophecy?" said Xander. "Didn't you check the time?" Holding up his watch, he said, "It's nine-fifty. The prophecy ended six minutes ago."

Ezekiel's grip on Willow's throat suddenly loosened as the vampire was stunned by the news. "No!!!" he cried in a terrifying roar.

Willow quickly lifted her foot and brought it down hard on the vampire's foot. As the vampire howled in pain, she ducked down and rolled away from him. That was all the opportunity Buffy needed. She charged forward and staked the vampire into nothingness.

For a moment, the five friends stood in the chamber in silence. Finally, Giles spoke up. "Um, Xander," he said quietly, "about the time. It's not even eight-thirty yet."

Xander looked at his watch again. "Well, would you look at that?" he said in mock astonishment. "I read the silly thing upside down again! You'd think I'd learn."

Xander flashed Willow one of his goofiest expressions, and Willow burst into laughter. She kept on laughing, and didn't even notice when the others started laughing as well. She also didn't notice when her laughter changed to uncontrollable sobs, as the stress of the night poured out of her.

But when she felt the arms of her friends enveloping her and holding her tightly - she definitely noticed that.

* * *

_****_

Epilogue

__

Roughly thirty-six hours later...

"Boy, am I glad that ordeal's over," said Buffy. "What a nightmare! I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life sounding like Elmer Fudd."

"Oh come on, Buff," said Xander. "I'm sure there are guys out there who find an Elmer Fudd voice quite endearing." At the sight of Buffy's icy glare, he quickly added, "I, of course, am not one of them."

Willow walked down the hallway beside her friends, basking in the joy of a life that had returned to normal - or of any kind of life, for that matter, since there had been a time all too recently when she hadn't expected to see this day.

One thing still puzzled her, though. "Has Giles said anything more about that prophecy?" she asked. "Because it seems kind of creepy to me. I mean, there's this prophecy about choosing the right Slayer, and at that very same time you get stuck in bed and I get stuck with the stakes. Are we supposed to believe that's a coincidence?"

"You're not suggesting that Buffy was _meant_ to have her wisdom teeth out at this exact time all along, are you?" said Xander.

"Don't even go there," said Buffy. "Prophecies always make me dizzy."

"All right," said Willow. There would be plenty of time for her to check on all the prophecies she wanted. All the time in the world.

The events of the past few days were already beginning to fade. As Willow readjusted to her normal self, she was finding it hard to believe that she had ever been able to run with blazing speed or leap from great heights without getting hurt - or stand alone against the undead. Still, a small echo of Willow the Vampire Slayer remained in the back of her mind. Maybe she had always been there, and simply never had the chance to come out before.

The trio rounded the corner and saw Cordelia walking toward them. "Good morning, Cordelia," Willow said, and flashed the other girl a smile. _The _smile.

Cordelia took one look at Willow, then quickly turned and walked the other way.

"What was that about?" Xander wondered.

Willow said nothing. In the back of her mind, though, Willow the Vampire Slayer roared her approval.

****

The End


End file.
